Tie-plate.



No. 696,964. Patented Apr. 8, |9102,

\ -H. H.` HART.

TIE PLATE. (Application H led NovA 1, 1901.)

(lo Model.)

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HERBERT H. HART, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TIE-PLATE.

SPECIFICATION forming* part 0f Letters Patent No. 696,964, dated April 8, 1902.

Application filed November 1,1901. Serial No. 80,759. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern/.-

Be it kno wn that I, HERBERT H. HART, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tie-Plates, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in tie-plates.

Heretofore it has been the practice to construct tie-plates having on their lower .surfaces two or more downward-proj ectin g sharpened flanges, Vwhich when the tie-plate is in position run parallel with the fibers or grain of the tie and which, being forced into the tie, tend to hold the tie-plate in position. It has also been the practice to provide the tieplate, in addition to these downward-projecting flanges on its lower surface, with a series of depressions or grooves upon its upper surface, so that the tie-plate consistsv of two or more thickened rail-supporting portions connected by thinner webs. One of the chief objects of these depressions was to get rid of the sand and dirt which might otherwise accumulate below the rail and by the grinding action of the rail upon the plate cause it to wear away more rapidly, thus shortening the life of the tie-plate. i

It is the object of my invention to improve tie-plates of this class; and my invention consists in providing the tie-plate, in addition to the flanges on its lower surface, with a plurality of grooves or depressions upon its upper surface of the peculiar shape hereinafter described for the purpose of firmly supporting the rail on the tie-plate and giving to the grooves a shape hereinafter described, which will more readily and surely cause the sand and dirt which would otherwise accumulate below the rail to be carried away.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view of the tie-plate in position upon the tie with a portion of the rail in position on the tie-plate. Fig. 2 is a top or plan view of the tie-plate. Fig. 3 is a side view of the tieplate looking parallel with the direction of the rail andacross the tie, and Fig. It is a section on line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, 5 indicates the tie, upon which is placed the tie-plate 0. The

tie-plate 6 is provided on its lower surface with a plurality of downward projecting flanges 7, which run across the tie-plate from' end to end parallel with the fibers of the tie when the tie is in position and are sharpened at their lower edges to cause their ready er1- tering into the tie. 8 indicates spike-holes in the tie-plate for the passage of spikes 9 in the usual manner. The tie-plate on its upper surface is formed with a series of depressions or grooves l0, which preferably meet one another at ornear the median line. The grooves or depressions 10 come to a point at theirinner ends, Where they meet one another, and, as is best shown in Fig. 2, gradually widen as they approach the edge of the tie-plate, being widest at the edge. When the grooves 10 are formed with a curved section, as is best shown in Fig. B, which is the form which Iprefer to use, they will also deepen from their meetingpointJ toward the outer edges of the tie-plate.

I do not, however, confine myself t0 makingi the grooves of the peculiar section shown in Fig. 3, as they might of course be formed having some other section, and I do not confine my invention to having these grooves gradually deepen as they approach the edges of the tie-plate, although this is one of' the features of my invention. The tie-plate thus formed, it, will be seen, consists of a plurality of thickened portions 11, which will be of sufficient strength to support the rail and prevent the buckling of the tie-plate connected by the grooves or depressions lO. Owing to the peculiar shape of the grooves, which widen, as I have said, from their meetingpoint at the median line of the tie-plate, the sand and dirt which might otherwise accumulate beneath the rail will be jarred by the action of passing trains into the grooves and will readily pass outward from under the rail l2. I have shown in the drawings the grooves 10 as running across the tie-plate parallel with the direction of the rail, and this is the position in which I prefer to construct them. I do not confine myself, however, to placing the grooves 10 in theposition shown, as it is obvious that their position might be variously changed upon the tie-plate without departing from the spirit of my invention.

That which I claim as my invention, and

desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A tie-plate provided upon its upper surface with a plurality of grooves or depressions contracted at their inner ends and gradually widening toward th'e edge of the tieplate, substantially as described.

2. A tie-plate provided upon its upper surface with a plurality of grooves or depressions, said grooves or depressions being contracted at their inner ends and gradually widening and deepening as they approach the edges of the tie-plate, substantially as described.

3. A tie-plate provided upon its under surface with a plurality of sharpened flanges adapted to enter the tie, and upon its upper surface with a plurality of grooves or depressions extending outward from the central -portion of said tie-plate, said grooves being contracted at their inner ends and gradually widening as they approach the edges of the tie-plate, substantially as described.

4C. A tie-plate provided upon its under surface with a plurality of sharpened anges adapted to enter the tie, and upon its upper surface with a plurality of grooves or depressions extending outward from the central portion of said tie-plate, said grooves being contracted at their inner ends and gradually widening and deepening as they approach the edges of the tic plate, substantially as described.

5. A tie-plate provided on its upper surface with two series of grooves or depressions, each series of grooves extending outward from the median line of said tie-plate, said grooves being contracted at their inner ends and gradually widening as they approach the edges of 

